The Hidden Kiss
by victory.x
Summary: "A beautiful melody floated up from the mist and towards them, and then his boyish laughter raked against the sky and threw his legacy to the stars, to be told forever of his adventures." NOT a sequel to Waiting for the Stars.
1. The First Star

**A/N: New story upload! Is it Peter Pan again, Victory? Why, yes, it is! Aren't I mature?**

 ***waits***

 ***no response***

 **Ahem. Well. Anyway, Peter Pan is my entire poetic writing life, so y'all can suck it up and read it anyway, because I am PROUD of it. Also, is this the same Cara Darling as in the story,** _ **Waiting for the Stars**_ **by victory.x? Why, it could be. That's for you to decide. Anyway, I'd really appreciate it if you guys read** _ **Waiting for the Stars**_ **. Probably my favorite story I've ever written, and that story has almost become a part of me, of who I am. I really appreciate your reviews and favorites and follows.**

 **This is written for a boy I knew, who recently committed suicide. Depression is the hardest, most painful thing in the world. You cannot understand it if you have never felt it. That is the selfishness in the world today.**

 **I wish only peace on his family.**

 **Disclaimer: I do NOT own Peter Pan, nor the Lost Boys, or Tinkerbell or Neverland or the concept of kisses. I do, however, own Cara Darling and Starwater Island.**

* * *

 _the hidden kiss._

CHAPTER ONE: THE FIRST STAR.

Now, to understand Peter Pan, you must understand kisses.

Not everybody is born with a kiss, it is a gifted, lucky thing. Not that it gives you any sort of advantage over anything at all, really, except for growing up.

That is the tricky part, you see, for people with kisses _do_ grow up. They'll grow up physically, and taller and wiser and that sort of thing, but they will never quite lose their innocence. A child's innocence is the most valuable and pretty part of them, and to lose it, is to lose childhood itself.

Then, are children without kisses not children at all? Of _course_ they're children, just children without kisses. Kisses make the innocence so much purer and prettier, and kisses can help make decisions too, when they're needed. Some kisses are rash, but others are careful. It depends what luck you have. Usually, most children don't have them at all.

Kisses are not visible in the sense of _seeing_ them, either. I suppose if you look closely enough at another's mouth, you can discern if they have a kiss or not. A kiss is usually concealed in the sweetest up-turn of a person's mouth, the slightest curl of lip. You can't _see_ it, but you know it's there.

Why, then, you might ask, does Peter Pan not have a kiss of his own?

It's a good question, but I really don't know. I guess you might have to ask Peter Pan himself, and you won't gain much in that. He'll tell you something made up, the stuff of stories, and we can't cram too many tales in one story. No, we don't need that.

Anyways, Peter Pan has a collection of kisses, kisses given to him for free in the act of love. Peter did _so_ love being admired. Now, I won't take the time to explain the act of _giving_ kisses, because that's much too complicated. All you must know is that Peter Pan earned many, many kisses, and unlike a sensible, matured person would do, Peter Pan did not keep those beloved kisses. In fact, he lost them, and they are scattered about the Neverland, clad in tears, waiting for the day that he will remember them. Alas, he does not, and all he does is forget even more.

However, he holds one kiss near to his heart. It is the kiss of Wendy Darling, and although he does not remember who she was, he knows there is something very special about her kiss. And there is, for Wendy Darling was the only one who truly kissed him with her mouth, and her kiss left her, stripping her of childhood for years of adventure with Peter Pan. He wears the kiss in an acorn about his neck, but he does not know why. When he tries to remember, he grows dizzy and then forgets about remembering. In a way, his wearing the kiss keeps the memory of Wendy Darling alive.

Sometimes kisses are not given away at all, but are lost in the same time where a child loses it's innocence. When the child starts growing up, the kiss becomes parched and dry, and slowly withers away until it is there no longer.

Before it's death, the moon takes it up to live amongst the stars, in a place Peter Pan calls Starwater, because the rivers and oceans glitter with real stars, and you can scoop them up and put them in your pocket. Stars make lovely friends.

Starwater is the second star to the left, and straight on till morning, or in other words, the _first_ star. It is a lovely place, home of kisses and the lazier stars, and wonderful creatures most cannot even imagine. Peter visits often, but because he is so accustomed to beauty, he does not even notice it anymore.

All retired kisses live at Starwater Island, and you can only enter the island with a kiss of your own, or if you are with someone with a kiss. Because Peter has Wendy's kiss, he visits any time he wants.

Wendy's kiss yearns for rest in Starwater, but it will never get it's wish. Peter will never grow up, will never lose his innocence, and the kiss will stay forever around his neck and partake in his never-ending adventures.

It doesn't seem so disappointed, anyway. I don't think any kiss would.


	2. Stolen Kisses

**A/N: Chapter two! I'm sorry I don't have any suggested songs like I did last time, but I've used up every decent Peter Pan song I know, unfortunately. If you guys have some suggestions, I'd love them. You can listen to** _ **Lost Boy**_ **by Ruth B. again. That song never gets old.**

 **Heh. See what I did there? Because Peter Pan** _ **never grows old**_ **? I'm so funny.**

 **Also, I think you'll find that the line, "Come away with me," has the same effect. It's just a Peter Pan line, you know?**

 **Review?**

* * *

 _the hidden kiss._

CHAPTER TWO: STOLEN KISSES.

Peter Pan turned over in his sleep, and cried out. Peter Pan is notorious for his bad dreams; for all his joy can only go for so long. It seems only fair that his nightmares cut through the gold. Long ago, Wendy Darling held his head in her lap and stroked his hair, and her love chased the darkness away. Alas, Wendy Darling is long gone.

Tinkerbell, the pretty little fairy, perched on his gold hair and gazed up at the night sky. Fairies are lovely, mysterious creatures, and though they have such a small, delicate head, they also possess quite a clever mind. Her eyes flitted from star to star, taking in the constellations, scanning the grass for anything that might harm Peter Pan. Of course, there was nothing, but Tinkerbell was an untrusting, suspicious fairy, and good for her, for Starwater Island is a place where anything can happen.

Another girl fairy appeared from behind a clump of roses, and Tinkerbell looked at her in disinterest. Fairies are vain, but Tinkerbell was the vainest of them all. She appraised the girl with her nose in the air. The other girl fairy sniffed, but approached the mean little creature.

In a voice like jingling bells, she told Tinkerbell that there was to be a grand party at the fairy palace, and Tinkerbell had somehow gotten invited. It wasn't because of Tinkerbell's nonexistent charms, but because of Peter's loveliness. All the strange and wonderful beings in Starwater loved and admired him, and they wanted to get into his good graces.

Tinkerbell was too excited to decline, and, Peter forgotten, she zipped after the other fairy. Tinkerbell wasn't able to resist party invitations. It was her one great weakness. It wasn't like anything would hurt him on Starwater, anyway. It was a much safer star-island, if she did say so herself.

Only a second after Tinkerbell's gold light had flitted out of sight, a dark figure seemingly melted out of a nearby willow tree. The shadow slowly crept to Peter's head, but when it, in awe, reached out to touch him, was burned by his light. It hissed, and stumbled backwards, shrieking in pain.

Peter mumbled something in his sleep, and turned over again.

Spitting hatefully, the creature, steeling itself, reached out and snagged an acorn chain about Peter Pan's neck. The chain snapped, and the shadow slipped back into the tree, acorn still in hand. The willow tree's leaves continued to sway eerily back and forth, brushing over the golden figure sleeping upon the ground.

Suddenly, a great light swept across the sky, arching like lightning.

Peter awoke with a start, but it was too late. The light grabbed him and threw him to the sky, far, far away from Starwater Island.

Peter Pan drifted through the stars, lying on his back. He was one of the only people who had mastered sleeping while flying, but his heart was so light it was rather easy for him, and he didn't mind bragging about it.

He yawned, and opened his eyes, gazing sleepily at a pair of stars. One was home, and the other was his second home, his second home that had thrown him out.

He knew why. His hand went to his neck. The absence of Wendy's kiss felt empty.

At the moment, he was waiting for Tinkerbell. He tried to keep thinking about her so he wouldn't forget about her.

While he waited, he wondered who had stolen his kiss. Also, why had Tinkerbell abandoned her post? He wanted to shake her.

So how would he get back into Starwater and find his kiss? Did Tinkerbell have a kiss?

He tried hard to remember.

Yes, Tinkerbell was one of the luckier fairies, a fairy with a kiss. It made her glow golden. But fairy kisses are small and weak, and there was no way he would pass into Starwater with a kiss _that_ small.

So then who had a kiss?

None of the Lost Boys, he was sure of that.

Maybe one of the stars had a kiss. He asked one, and the star replied that stars don't _have_ kisses, because stars don't have _mouths_. Then the star called Peter stupid, and shot a jet of stardust at his hair. Peter glared at it, and blew it far from it's post, where it shrieked and squirmed.

Just then, a golden light zoomed up from Starwater and perched, panting, on his shoulder, offering hasty apologies.

A light went off in Peter's head, much like Tink herself.

"Tink, I just remembered kisses." Peter said to Tink, and Tink fanned herself, trying to catch her breath. "Guess who has kisses, Tink?" Peter grinned at the fairy wickedly. "Guess, oh, guess."

Tink frowned at him. She didn't like cheekiness.

"Wendy! She gave me mine, I'm sure that she'll have loads more."

Tink turned red. She gently told Peter that she did _not_ like Wendy. Nope, not at all.

But Peter hadn't heard her, or at least, he pretended he hadn't. "We'll just go down to London and see her, and then I'll have a kiss again."

Tink slyly remarked that he could have _her_ kiss, and was extremely hurt when he replied that he did not want hers, but only wanted Wendy's, so she pinched him.

It was night in London, a deep, dark black, no stars. Cara Darling sat at her windowsill as usual, not because she was waiting for Peter Pan, as her great-grandmother had done all those years ago, but because she liked the moon.

Yes, Cara liked the moon very much. She told the moon everything about her day, because she wasn't sure that anybody else would listen.

You see, the world was sick.

Long ago, all children would be happy and full of wonder, but they had become sadder and sadder throughout the generations, and kisses would retire too early to Starwater. This was a disease, and Cara suffered from it.

The sadness would creep up from your heart and poison your blood, polluting your soul, until it reached your mind. It'd bury it deep in desolation and sorrow, and soon, after feeling so much pain, you'd feel nothing at all.

An important symptom was the victim's eyes, filled with the most terrible loneliness and fear, almost as if they were drowning inside themselves.

So Cara sat at the windowsill, and described in length how she felt about her mother, her father, her family, her friends. Even Peter Pan, for even victims of these disease feel the longing for Peter Pan, longing for healing and staying young forever. They would be infinitely free from worry and sadness, feelings they have felt for too long.

However, she did not linger on Peter Pan. Cara had learned that longing for something too much would eventually break your heart, and you'd bleed out from the inside.

She sighed when she finished, and rubbed her cheek, swallowing her tears. "That is all, then." she said, steeling herself and stepping delicately from the window seat, towards her bed.

"That's an awfully sad story. You can't just end it _there_."

Cara turned slowly. A gold head poked in from just behind her window. The boy grinned at her. "Hullo, Wendy." The boy hopped into her room as if he belonged there.

He was a very pretty boy, prettiest she'd ever seen, in fact, and she did not waste a moment not looking at him. He had gold curls, as if spun from sunlight, and eyes bluer than the sunniest sky. His clothes were of skeleton leaves, and in his belt was a knife, a sword, and oddly, a pan flute. He smiled at her with snow-white teeth.

His entire person emanated a gold glow, and that was what made Cara step away from him, her legs shaky.

The boy squinted at her. "You sure look a bit different." he said bluntly.

"P-Peter?" she gasped. "Peter Pan?"

Peter looked offended. "You forgot?"

"I'm dreaming." said Cara, and she turned on her heel and got into bed, refusing to look at him.

"No—Wendy, don't go! I didn't mean what I said—I mean, I did, because you _do_ look different, but it's a good different." said Peter, hurrying over to her bed and shaking her shoulder.

Cara still refused to look at him.

"Pinch me." she said.

Peter was confused. "Why?"

"Just do it." she responded, and shut her eyes tight.

Before Peter had a chance, a tiny ball of light quickly went for Cara's arm and bit her, as hard as it could.

Cara cried out, her eyes flying open. "I didn't tell you to _bite_ me!" she said, turning on Peter, her eyes flashing. She rubbed her arm.

Peter blinked. "You _act_ a bit different too," he said, but it was more to himself than to anyone else.

"Well, of course I do," said Cara snappishly. "I'm not Wendy Darling."

Peter was taken aback. "B-but this is her room—"

"Well, yes, but the house was passed down from generation to generation. It's my mother's now, and one day it will be mine." said Cara shortly.

"Generation?" Peter echoed.

Cara narrowed her eyes. "Yes, of course. Wendy Darling was my great-grandmother."

"Was?" Peter said quickly.

"She died, years before I was born."

Peter looked as if she had struck him. "Dead? Wendy, dead?"

Cara looked annoyed. "Well, obviously. You can't expect her to live forever."

The little ball of light was relieved, and pointedly told Peter so, then went to wait for him at the window, ready to sail out of the godforsaken place.

Peter sunk onto Cara's bed, resting his chin atop his fist. He thought, hard.

He glanced at Cara, who was looking at him. His eyes were drawn to her mouth, and he searched it frantically with his eyes, examining every curve and contour. Then, in the right hand corner, he saw it.

"Wendy's kiss," he murmured.

"Sorry?" asked Cara, leaning forward to hear him. He grabbed her face, and then examined her mouth again, while Cara shrieked indignantly.

"It's her kiss," Peter explained, after letting go. "Wendy's kiss. It must've passed down to you. Do you have any more on hand? Preferably kept somewhere for me to carry?"

"You can't carry a kiss," cried Cara. "It's permanently fixed on a person's mouth. The idea of multiple kisses for one person is just silly."

Now, Peter did not like being called silly. He also did not like Cara, nor the fact that if he ever wanted to get back to Starwater to find his _own_ kiss, he'd have to bring her. Of course, he could steal her kiss, but stealing kisses were much harder when the kiss wasn't around the person's neck, but was fixed to their mouth.

He sighed loudly. "I suppose she'll have to do, Tink."

Tink screamed in outrage.

"What? What did you say?" said Cara frantically. "Do you mean—Neverland?" She hadn't meant to blurt it out, but Neverland appeared in all her dreams, awake or sleeping. Neverland was a place of rest, of hope, of peace. No more tears. She had never ached for a place so much.

Peter looked at her. "Yes. If you'd like to." If she didn't like to, then he'd _kidnap_ her and force her to Starwater.

"I-I—I cannot," said Cara in wonder. "I mustn't leave my mother behind."

"She can't come." said Peter rudely, examining his nails.

Cara clenched her hands into fists, her heart beating faster than it ever had for the past few months. She had come from the window dead, but went back to it alive.

She decided to ask him a few questions first, just to make sure he was _really_ Peter Pan.

Of course, she had already convinced _herself_ it was Peter Pan. Truly, you cannot look at Peter Pan and doubt that it is him.

"Why do you need a kiss?" she asked boldly.

"To get somewhere."

"Get where?"

"The first star."

"Why do you need a kiss for it?"

"That's the rule."  
"Since when do you follow the rules?"

At this, Peter grinned at her, and it was so pretty Cara almost felt dizzy.

"Since they kicked me out."

"Why don't you have your own kiss?"

Peter's expression darkened. "Because Tink left her post." He glared at the glittering light persistently waiting at the window. The light made a furious bell jingle.

"What happened after Tink left her post?"

"Somebody stole my kiss."

"How do you steal a kiss? Will you steal mine?" Cara added the last bit after an afterthought.

"It's Wendy's kiss. I wear it around my neck in an acorn. I can't steal yours, because it's on your mouth, and I'd have to thimble you, and even that only works _sometimes_."

Cara sniffed. "You can't do that, thank you very much."

"I know."

"Will you return me safely home after I assist you?"

"Yes."

"Do you promise?"

"Promises are kisses, you know."

" _Do_ you?"

Peter sighed loudly. "Yes."

"Oh. Alright then." Suddenly, Cara felt rather awkward. She felt large and clumsy unable to fly, while Peter floated in the air, his toes only an inch off the ground. He didn't even realize he was doing it.

Peter grabbed Tink and shook her over Cara. "Just think happy thoughts," he said, smiling, floating a little higher.

Cara thought. She thought about her mother and father, but nothing happened. She thought about how lucky she was to have food and water and a nice home to live in, but her feet stuck firmly to the ground. She looked up, and saw Peter's white smile, and suddenly, she found something she believed in.

She lifted off the ground, her hair floating above her shoulders, and she laughed, as if lost in time. She had never felt so wonderful in all her life.

Peter laughed too, and took her hands, and they spun about the room, raining gold fairy dust on everything.

Peter let go of her hand and flew out the window, and waited. Cara looked at him, then at her room. She looked back at Peter, who reached out his hand. It was brown and dirty, dusted gold with fairy dust, and emanating a glow. She thought she had never seen anything so lovely.

" _Come away with me_."

Hesitantly, she took his hand.


	3. Starwater's Weakening

**A/N: This next beginning bit was heavily inspired by the beginning of Peter Pan 2003. The film. Oh, it's so beautiful. All you people have to watch it.**

 **Also, I guess you've guessed that Cara has depression? Depression is the villain in this story. It'll make sense later on.**

 **Review, my preciouses, review. Is preciouses a word? It should be a word. If it was a word, the definition of it would be, "Victory's readers."**

 **I'm slick, aren't I.**

 **But anyway, please review! I like hearing from you guys.**

* * *

 _the hidden kiss._

CHAPTER THREE: STARWATER'S WEAKENING.

The three people spiraled through outer space; and Cara's hair whirled about her head, and she couldn't stop smiling. The stars were posh, snobby little peoples, and Cara loved them at once. Peter would blow them out from behind them, and they'd yell and fuss, but she knew that they secretly admired him. Everybody admired Peter Pan.

Sometimes, he'd forget what they were doing, and would fly off somewhere else, and Cara would be left screaming for him to turn back, as Tinkerbell flew after Peter.

The thing was, Peter would always come back and apologize, with the sweetest of smiles. How like a _boy_ he was. Cara forgave him without even meaning to.

They had been flying steadily, when the stars became strange. Cara grew worried, but Peter told her that that was how it was, when they neared Neverland.

Suddenly, she was not flying in space at all, but above a large sea of midnight black, and stars glittering at the bottom like gems. Peter cupped his hands in the water and drank; and Cara, encouraged by him, dipped her index finger in the water, and she was overcome with the loveliest of feelings.

Before she knew it, the water had grown lighter and lighter until it was the exact color of periwinkle, and it lapped against the shore of a lush green island, with a beach of gold.

"Neverland," she whispered in amazement, hardly daring to believe her eyes.

She scanned the island for sight of her mother's tales; but she saw neither pirates nor Indians.

Peter was sailing ahead of her now, arms outstretched. He flew so gracefully, and Cara could not help kicking a little, for she was poor in the art of flying.

"Peter," she said, panting a little when she caught up with him. "Where are the pirates? Where is Captain Hook?"

"Hook?" Peter repeated, not lifting his eyes from the island below. "Who's that?"

Cara blinked. "The pirate." she said slowly. "The one who's hand you cut off."

"How dreadful," Peter said, but he grinned at her. "I'm sorry I don't remember, Wendy. Sometimes I forget things."

"Cara," she corrected automatically.

"Who?"

"Never mind," grumbled Cara. "Look, who is that?"

Peter brightened at the sight of them. "The Lost Boys." he said, his grin widening. "They've come to meet us!"

He swooped down to them, crowing loudly, and they answered joyfully. Cara wanted to roll her eyes, but she was smiling.

She landed lightly. "O, Wendy lady, it is you again!" cried the littlest one, and wrapped his arms around her knees.

"Oh!" said Cara, stumbling backwards, feeling flustered. "Well, I—"  
"Have you come to be our mother again?" asked another one with clear green eyes.

"No, I—"

"I did so love having a mother," interrupted the green-eyed one dreamily.

"And she is pretty!"

"And nice!"

"And lovely!"

Peter smiled at Cara proudly. "See?"

Cara looked at him in confusion. "See what?"

"See you are pretty and nice and lovely." said Peter, as if it was obvious. "I had realized that you didn't think so."

"Oh," said Cara again, reddening. "Well, I am neither Wendy nor your mother," she said apologetically. "Just—a helper of sorts."

"Mothers help," said a Lost Boy inconsequently.

"Everyone, we're all going to Starwater Island!" said Peter, and all the other boys cheered. "Wendy's going to take us!"

" _Cara_ ," Cara repeated. "Honestly, Peter, I've told you a thousand times!"

Peter shrugged, and gave her such a boy-like smile she had to forgive him.

So they took off again, soaring into the sky, away from the only place that had felt like home to Cara. Even though she had been there only mere minutes, the sand, the sun, the trees... it felt homelier than any other place on Earth.

They soared away from the place the stars became strange, and where the stars were as normal and snobby as they usually were.

"It's not so far," Peter called from the front of the procession. "Follow Tink!"

Tink, who had disliked being ignored for such a long time, snootily streaked through the sky, and only Peter could follow.

"I complain of Tink," one of the Lost Boys said. His name was Nibs.

Slightly, the green-eyed boy, pointed in another random direction. Slightly liked to pretend that he knew what he was doing, when in reality, he was the one who knew least.

"I think that Starwater is this way!" he said, and swooped in that direction.

The other Lost Boys, not knowing anything of Starwater's location, swooped after him, until Cara called out, "Wait!"

She gestured to the Neverland star. "Neverland is the one on the right." she said carefully. "So, Starwater must be that way." She pointed.

The Lost Boys cheered again, and followed her.

When they reached Starwater, there was only a large portal. It glittered with every color of the rainbow, and even more. They were so different from the ones on Earth that Cara could barely speak.

"It's quite beautiful," she told Tootles in wonder. "Have you visited often?" He shook his head.

"Everybody hold hands!" Peter called out, and gripped Cara's left hand. She blushed, though she did not know why. Peter sent her his boyish smile again, and her cheeks reddened even further.

Tootles took her right hand. "Now what must I do?" Cara asked Peter, and he looked at the portal. "You must pass the boundary. That's all." he said, shrugging.

So Cara did. She stepped into the portal, and allowed all the unfamiliar colors to swirl about her, and envelop her in the prettiest music she'd ever heard. She shut her eyes tight and tried her best to remember it.

Suddenly, they were flying again, above an island that looked quite a bit like the Neverland, except that it was dawn on this island, and the pink showed through the clouds and gold streamed over it, and the entire island was washed in light.

"How wonderful," Cara cried out, but the others had already flew down to the ground.

She landed next to Peter, who had Tinkerbell on his shoulder. Tink stuck her tongue out at Cara, who childishly stuck hers out as well.

"I was sleeping right here," said Peter, gesturing to the softly moving grass, still wet with dewdrops. "Beneath this tree." He then pointed at the large willow tree, swaying back and forth, almost in an eerie way. Cara frowned at it. "I don't like the look of that tree. May I see it?"

Peter stepped back, and Cara touched one of it's leaves. It was black; an unusual color for a willow tree. "It seems sick, almost." said Cara in bewilderment.

The Twins touched the bark, and drew their hands back sticky with black tree sap. Tree sap was not supposed to be black.

"Clean your hands, quickly," snapped Peter. "I don't want the sickness affecting you as well."

The Twins washed their hands off in the river, and wiped them on the grass. Cara, a bit worried, washed her hands as well.

"We must go see the Fairy King." said Peter importantly. "And tell him of this disease."

So they did. They went on foot, which felt strange, after flying for so long, until they reached an enormous golden palace. "Every fairy on Starwater Island lives in here," whispered Peter to Cara, who gazed at it's beauty.

The gates opened when Peter pressed his thumb to them, and they were all admitted.

It seemed as if no one was around, and the silence made Peter uneasy. "Weapons out," he said sharply, and his Lost Boys agreed at once; and Cara was amazed at their trusting.

Cara had no weapon, so she stood behind Peter and in front of Curly, the littlest one.

At last, when they reached the throne room, there was silence no more, but a dreadful, wailing sobbing noise, with the slightest tinkle of bells.

It was the Fairy King, sitting upon his throne and crying his heart out while his queen patted his arm soberly. Peter eyed them. "What's going on here?"

The funny thing about Starwater fairies is that they speak English, rather than the preferred language of the fairy people. Tinkerbell resented it.

"Oh, Peter, you have come and we are saved at last!" cried the King, jumping up.

"If I remember, _you_ threw me out." said Peter rather coldly.

"The thing is, you _never_ remember," said the King with a nervous laugh, and was faced with an icy stare.

He coughed. "Anyways, our island is under a dreadful influence. It's as if the entire place is _sick!_ "

"But that's just what we were thinking!" cried Nibs. "There's something funny about the trees."

"Not _just_ the trees, my dear boy, but also the creatures!" said the King, and he began to cry again. "Millions of my fairies are terribly ill, almost to the point of death! It's no normal sickness, for it makes the people sad, horribly sad. Kisses, Peter, are dying."

Peter took in a sharp breath. " _Kisses_? I didn't think kisses could die."

"Well, they do! And when all the kisses die out, Starwater will die too." the King sobbed.

Peter thought, hard, but he couldn't think of anything to say besides, "Somebody stole my kiss."

"Oh yes, kisses are being stolen all over the place," said the King. "Even on the Mainland!"

"The Mainland?" Cara repeated curiously. "Earth, my dear child, your _home_. The sickness has been affecting Earth for years now, but it has slowly spread _here_."

"Then it may also come to Neverland." said Peter, frowning.

"Of course, of course! It hungers for joy, and they was never such a lovely place like Neverland."

"Is there a cure?" Cara asked, always the practical one.

At this, the squat little fairy stood up and began to pace around. "I don't know." he admitted fretfully. "But there _is_ one that might know. It's a long journey for fairies, but for people—" He looked at them sternly. "Are you ready for an adventure?"

"Yes," said Peter and the Lost Boys at once, and everybody looked at Cara. She blinked. "I mean, I'm not _opposed_ to an adventure, but exactly how long would this take?"

"Just a day. After that, I do not know." said the King gravely.

"And where will we be going?" pressed Cara.

"To the end of the island." said the King dramatically. "To the land of Kisses, to their palace and home. No one has ever ventured there before. When you reach the place, you will see a large tree, not something you see on the Mainland, but you will recognize that it is a tree. When you see it, you must offer it some water by the stream next to it, and pour the water over the roots. Then, you must go into the palace and wait. I do not know how the Kisses will treat you."

"Well, we'll save their island, and they'll treat us well." said Slightly, and the Lost Boys cheered.

"Come. I will give you provisions." said the King, and they followed him into a little room that was stocked high with fairy food, the best kind of food there was.

He himself packed their bags, and then sent them on their way, wishing them a safe journey.

They did not see his eyes turn an alarming shade of red, or the way he smiled, or they would have worried.

It was a delightfully sunny morning, and they were all warm from the sunshine. It was a nice day to be flying, when there was no breeze, and it wasn't chilly.

Cara was excited to be on a real adventure, but a thoughts were sitting at the back of her mind, gaining weight and holding her down.

What if they _didn't_ defeat the sickness and find a cure? Would she be sad forever? Would she have to return home to the Mainland? Was this all a dream?

She ignored the thoughts and kept flying, following Peter and his hair of gold.

She saw lovely things, like fairies and mermaids, but she also saw nymphs and dryads, and little goat-men. There were centaurs and dragon-caves, (though she did not see an actual dragon, just trails of smoke coming out of the entrance) and incredible creatures that were impossible to describe. It was such a pretty island, it was not hard to understand why Peter liked coming so much.

But she saw traces of the sickness as well. Parts of the island were black; and sometimes she heard screaming in night. She saw a dryad with glowing red eyes, and had to cover Curly's eyes so he wouldn't see.

She recognized the symptoms, and she saw Peter, and she knew, at that moment, that they _had_ to defeat it, or Peter would be defeated. Peter was light, and the sickness was dark, and the two were opposites. Peter was joy, and without Peter, what would the world be like?


	4. The Tree of Wisdom

**A/N: Chapter four. I'm a little behind in my writing schedule, due to school and work and all of that unfortunate stuff. Fortunately for** _ **you**_ **, you guys come first!**

 **So review.**

 ***blackmail***

* * *

 _the hidden kiss._

CHAPTER FOUR: THE TREE OF WISDOM.

They had finally reached the Palace of Stars. Peter alighted upon the ground first; then Cara, who held Curly in her arms. Curly was the littlest, so Peter forgave him if he fell asleep on the way.

They stood before a large tree, the strangest tree Cara had ever seen. It was one of those colors she had seen when passing through the portal. Peter called the color _alaison_ , and Cara thought it was the prettiest and most wonderful color she had ever seen.

The trunk and the leaves were all _alaison_ , and it's branches were gnarled and old, but perfectly in proportion to climbing. It exuded a pretty whitish light, that glinted on the stream that bubbled merrily next to it.

"Shall I offer it, or you?" asked Peter to Cara, who was surprised that he had even asked her opinion.

"You."

Peter knelt by the stream, and the white light shined off his gold hair and nearly blinded Cara.

He cupped his hands into the water, and then held the purest water in his hands, a pearly, beautiful blue. Cara felt thirsty to drink it. Peter gave her a warning look, and Cara swallowed.

"O tree, I offer this to you." said Peter, and the water fell from his fingertips over the roots of the tree, and the tree glowed _alaison_.

Peter looked strangely solemn as he wordlessly went to the golden palace behind the tree. It was even nicer than the Fairy King's palace, with arches and the tiniest, most intricate designs carved into the gold.

Peter didn't like gold. He didn't like treasure much at all, as it reminded him too much of pirates. He wasn't exactly sure what he had against pirates, but it was something, and Peter _did_ like grudges. They made him feel important.

"Now what do we do?" asked Slightly, who never posed questions. They were all surprised at him.

"What?" he said defensively.

Peter looked around, and spotted a throne. "Let's go wait over there." he suggested, and they all cheered. Everyone followed Peter to the throne, which Peter conceitedly sat on. When Cara frowned at him reproachfully, he only smiled, showing his blinding white teeth again. Cara loved his teeth.

She sat on the ground with the boys and told them lovely stories, like Robin Hood and Cinderella, and they all listened.

They were all so enraptured by Cara's story, they never noticed a beautiful woman appear out of thin air and glide over to them. None, of course, except Peter Pan. Nothing got past him.

Peter stood at once, and that got the others' attention. They all stood as well, and suddenly, all of them had the strongest urge to bow. So they did; all except Peter.

Peter looked at the woman with a serious expression, and the two looked at each other for a long while.

"How old are you, Peter?" asked the woman.

"Quite young." said Peter.

"How long you have been young." she sighed. The woman looked at him in an expression of such wistfulness, all the others felt a terrible longing for something they did not quite understand.

Peter smiled at her, and she too, smiled tenderly. "Come." she said. "Sit. I will talk with you now."

They all followed the pretty lady to a sitting room, and they all sat their dirty bodies down on the velvet furniture. The lady did not complain.

"That's a kiss, Miss Cara," whispered Nibs to Cara.

Cara blinked. "The woman? The woman is a kiss?"

"She's no woman, Cara. That's what angels look like."

And when Cara looked at the woman again, she saw the loveliest creature she could ever imagine, wearing a color prettier than _alaison_ , her hair crowned with flowers she'd never seen, and her face was so terrible and so beautiful, that Cara could only stare in wonder.

She touched the corner of her mouth, and could almost see the beautiful creature concealed in her lip.

Peter looked at the lady too, with head cocked. "Are you the only kiss here?"

The angel turned her head, and smiled sweetly at Peter. "My brothers and sisters are tending to the world. I was left to watch over the palace and keep it safe from the sickness."

"That's why we're here lady," butted in Slightly, as always. "We gotta stop the sickness, or it'll spread everywhere, even Neverland."

"Yes," said the kiss serenely. "I will tell you what to do."

"What about the tree?" asked Curly, thumbing towards the large tree behind them. It's leaves swayed in the gentle wind, as if beckoning them.

The kiss smiled. "The tree will help you. But who told you about it's power?"

"The Fairy King." replied Peter, and the angel's expression darkened.

"Quickly. You must hurry. I fear that he is planning something."

"What do you mean?" Cara asked curiously. "Isn't the King on our side?"

"He too, has been affected by the sickness. I fear there is no hope for him."

A cold feeling dripped down Cara's spine and lodged in the small of her back. "Oh." she said in a small voice.

"Come on then," said Peter, getting up immediately and unsheathing his knife. His eyes were alight with adventure and excitement.

The Lost Boys cheered and followed him.

"Peter," said the kiss. "Let me look at you before you go."

Peter turned, looking more beautiful than ever, in the reflected light of the golden palace.

The kiss sighed. "Go. Hurry."

The group hurried down to the _alaison_ tree. Peter, as if on instinct, reached forward and touched the great tree trunk, and the tree shuddered. He fell backwards, and Cara grabbed his arm to steady him. "Careful." she said.

" _Who has invoked my presence_?" bellowed the great tree.

"It is I, Peter Pan!" cried Peter, stepping forward again. A wind had started up, and whipped his gold hair.

" _Why have you come?_ " asked the tree.

"We would like to know what and where the cure for the sickness infecting this island is!" responded Peter boldly.

The tree chuckled, and Cara smiled. " _It is a long and dangerous journey. Are you willing?_ "

The boys cheered, and Cara smiled so wide it reached the moon and brushed against the stars, who shrieked at being pushed away from their post.

" _Very well. You will journey to the end of the universe, until you reach the Dark Island. You must destroy the evil there, and the world will be saved._ "

"What is at the end of the universe?" Peter asked curiously.

" _Only The End. I can say nothing more. You must find that out for yourself, Peter Pan._ "

Peter's eyes were greedy with adventure. "We must set out at once."

" _Careful, Peter Pan. A shadow listens as we speak, and it will quickly convey this news to its master._ "

"Where?" Nibs shouted, turning round and round with his sword.

" _Hidden...it is hidden..._ "

Cara looked carefully about her in the blinding sunlight, and there—she saw it, a dark figure of a girl, running from them. "There!" she shouted excitedly, and at once took flight after it.

Now, Tinkerbell had been there this entire time. She did not like being ignored for so long, so she streaked after Cara, determined to catch the shadow before Cara did.

Now this idea was simply ridiculous. A fairy cannot catch something a hundred times it's size.

Cara tackled the shadow to the ground, and it dissolved beneath her, leaving nothing but an acorn strung on a broken chain. She picked it up curiously, but did not touch the acorn, for fear of it being poisoned or infected with the disease.

She gingerly brought the necklace back to Peter who was waiting with his arms across his chest. "My kiss!" he cried in joy, reaching for it. Cara pulled it away at the last minute. "It may be infected. " she said, and her voice betrayed her fear of Peter getting the disease.

The tree ruffled it's own leaves and swayed serenely. " _No. The acorn is protected by a kiss and the kiss's innocence. It is a powerful thing, Cara Darling_."

Cara bowed her head and curtsied, and handed Peter the necklace. He took it. "Well." he said, smiling at her. "Are you ready?"

Tinkerbell landed on his shoulder, panting for breath. He ignored her, and Tink gnashed her teeth with fury.

"Oh, yes, Peter, yes," said Cara, her cheeks flushed, her eyes sparkling. Only Peter noticed the difference from when he had first met her. Now she was different, now she was happy. She had been cured.


	5. The Half-Moon

**A/N: And it's the next chapter! I hope you guys are liking it so far:) Here are some pixie-dust cookies.**

 **Anyways, have you guys noticed the Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader pattern going on here? Well, you guessed right. The Dark Island, (both the concept and the actual thing) are straight from that movie/book! I own none of it. I WAS INSPIRED, OKAY?**

 **Review? :D**

* * *

 _the hidden kiss._

CHAPTER FIVE: THE HALF-MOON.

The group all traipsed back to the golden palace of the kisses. Peter turned the acorn kiss over in his palm, observing it.

The chain had snapped, so he tucked it securely into his pocket. He didn't want to lose it again.

The angel was waiting for them, her hands folded in front of her. She bowed her head to Peter respectfully, and he bowed back.

"Have you found what you are looking for?" asked the kiss.

"No," replied Peter, but he did not elaborate. He had taken his kiss out of his pocket and was examining it again.

"The tree said something about a long voyage to the Dark Island." answered Cara instead. "At the end of the universe."

The kiss shuddered. "It's an evil that haunts every nightmare," she whispered. "It is a terrible place. I warn you against it."

"No matter," said Peter carelessly, swinging over a rock and sitting on a column step, sharpening his knife. "We will go. But we must have supplies, and preferably, a ship."

"A ship?" echoed the Lost Boys.

"A ship," Peter confirmed.

"But where will we get one?" asked Cara curiously.

"I will supply a ship." said the kiss, in it's sweet, haunting voice. "If you really must go."

"We must." said Peter, glancing up at her. "Thank you." said Cara. "Could you give us one quickly? I feel as if the end of the universe is rather far away."

"You would not be wrong," said the kiss darkly, but raised her hand up to the sun. Almost immediately, a cloud of light spread over the sky; and brightened so much that all but the kiss and Peter looked away.

When the others had opened their eyes, a magnificent ship flew straight out of the sky and over their heads. The Lost Boys cheered.

"It is called The Half-Moon." said the kiss, smiling a little. "It is a beautiful thing."

"Only the best for Peter Pan," said Peter, puffing his chest proudly. He flew up at once to examine the prow and deck of the ship.

It was colored a golden-red wood, that shined so brightly it looked as if it was on fire. The kiss called it _sunwood_. The sail of the ship was a deep _alaison_ , and the lettering that spelled the ship's name was written in real gold.

"It seems everything is in order." said Peter, after looking over the ship. "All aboard!"

The Lost Boys all cheered again, and all of them flew onto the ship, _oohing_ and _aahing_ over every little thing. Peter surveyed them all with pride.

Cara ran her finger down the sunwood edge, and thought that a flying ship was simply grand. It was meant for adventure, and for adventure it would be.

"Good luck!" called the kiss from down below. "Food and clothes will be on the ship, and I will try to help you in any other way I can."

"Weapons?" asked Slightly hopefully.

The kiss frowned, but nodded curtly. "Weapons as well."

"Bring her up!" yelled Peter, who stood at the tiller. Tootles was manning the wheel.

"A word of warning," said the kiss from down below. "The Fairy King only helped you because he wanted you to reach the Dark Island, where he believed you would perish at the hands of his Master. Prove him wrong. Defeat the sickness, and the world will see light again."

"But who is his Master?" Peter questioned, standing on the edge of the ship to look down at the kiss.

She only shook her head, and the glorious ship rose into the air, and sped off into the sky.

The thing about sky-ocean, is that it is a difficult thing to comprehend. It is not ocean, but it is not sky, either. It's as if the space and stars above and below you are separated into two different compartments, and one is like water, and the other is like real sky.

If you sail far enough, the sky will look less like sky and more like ocean. It isn't _really_ ocean, of course, but if you _are_ able to sail that far, it means you have an innocent mind, a mind that has seen Neverland, and you _think_ it is so. No grown-up has ever sailed that far in the history of time, so no one knows if it is really so. Only children can see the wonderful, and believe it.

There were all sorts of island-planets, incredible and terrible places. Sometimes they docked there, to re-supply. Not because they _needed_ to, but because they wanted to explore.

They would all go separate ways, and have separate adventures, but Peter and Cara always went together. Peter realized that they were something vaguely familiar about Cara's eyes. They were the sunniest, most vibrant blue. Nobody on Neverland had blue eyes except him, and hers were the loveliest color he had ever seen. He couldn't help but feel that he had seen those eyes before, on someone important. He ached to remember, ached to see that person. There was something about them that was so wholesome and innocent, that was beautiful to think about.

Cara, on the other hand, started remembering less of London and rainy nights spent talking to the moon, and more about blue skies and browned skins and docking at islands and flying around the universe with Peter Pan in a glorious ship made of sunlight.

They all had so many adventures that they usually forgot about most of them, and told lovely, pretty stories about their adventures around the dinner table. Cara noticed that Peter didn't sleep much. He'd go and sit on the edge of the ship, looking out over the universe and playing his pan flute according to how he viewed the stars that night. They'd all fall asleep to the sound; well, all except Tinkerbell, who faithfully stood by his shoulder.

They'd been sailing so long now that they had forgotten everything else. All they knew was the space-spray and smell of stardust mixed with seawater. Cara's skin was tanned a light brown, making her blue eyes glow. She was incredible with a sword; and she cried no longer. She forgot the moon, and their friendship. All she knew now was Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, and innocence and light and joy. It was the best kind of life.

One night, after she had fallen asleep to Peter's pan flute, she was jolted awake, and she jumped out of bed, pulling on her sailor's clothes and boots. She unsheathed her sword, and crept above deck.

The Lost Boys followed, and joined her and Peter and Tinkerbell to look upon a terrible thing floating in the distance. It was a speck of darkness, _pure_ darkness. Darker than the night around them. It showed them the true color of black.

Cara's skin prickled as she gazed upon it; and she shuddered, unknowingly taking a step closer to Peter. His face was impassive as he looked at it. "What a terrible thing that is." said Cara, if only to expose Peter to it's evil.

But Peter only smiled at her. "Do not worry, Cara. No matter how terrible that island is, I am worse. No matter how frightening, I will push it to oblivion, and it will be lost over the edge of the world."

Cara looked at him straight in the eyes, and trusted him. "And I will stand with you." she told him.

He smiled at her, and it was his boyish, lovely smile. "We are to set sail towards that island." he called out to his faithful crew. "Do not be afraid." A light emanated from his eyes, and he stood at the prow of the ship, gazing at the island in contemplation. It was the light of adventure.

Cara saw it, and she was not afraid.


	6. The Dark Island

**A/N: I would just like to say, that I am so in love with Peter that I can barely see straight. Am I the only one? I love that guy. He's just so cool.**

 **Depression dies in this chapter. It's just a belief I have; that Peter Pan can defeat depression and sadness with his light. You feel me? You feel me, I know you do.**

 **Also, listen to the Narnia Battle Soundtrack. There are no words for it.**

 **Review?**

* * *

 _the hidden kiss._

CHAPTER SIX: THE DARK ISLAND.

By daylight, they had reached the harbor of the Dark Island.  
Cara looked at it, and she saw only fear. She did not like fear, so she gripped her sword defiantly. _Let them come_ , she thought stubbornly. _I will destroy them. I will destroy them all._

"Easy," said Peter gently, as the Lost Boys steered the ship. "It's only a shadow. Remember that boys. Don't let it frighten you. Remember the light. Remember the sun. It runs through the veins of this ship, and also in you, and no darkness can cast that out."

Peter sat on the edge of the ship and played on his pan flute, almost as if laughing at the darkness that penetrated their beautiful ship. The shadows shrouded everything, but the light of Peter and Tinkerbell shined through it, and the Lost Boys could see.

They felt braver just because of Peter. Tootles sat on the deck and ate his breakfast, Cara next to him.

Cara, did not feel so calm. She had lived in London all her life, until now, and the shadows of her nightmares haunted her. She had forgotten them, but she had suddenly remembered them.

Peter kept playing his pan flute.

"Don't fear," called Peter. "If you do, then your fears will come alive and pour onto this ship."

This, of course, should've frightened them more, but they were not frightened. None were, except Cara.

"Think of nothing," she whispered to herself furiously, holding her sword so tightly her hand trembled. "Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Noth—"

A horrid creature had hauled itself onto the ship. It was a hairless, slimy creature with a shriveled body. It walked on it's hands and knees, with great, large eyes and flared nostrils, and pointed teeth. It crawled slowly towards her, baring it's teeth in a terrible smile, hissing.

Cara screamed.

In a moment, Peter was in front of her, and had cut clean through the creature's body. The monster fell back, dead.

"See?" panted Peter. "Nothing. There's nothing to fear, Cara."

But Cara could not see.

Creatures of all shapes and sizes were crawling in masses upon the ship, straight from Cara's nightmares. Half-dead men, shadows, goblins, scaly creatures with wings— the list was endless. Cara was paralyzed with fear. She could do nothing but press herself to the wall, eyes wide.

The Lost Boys charged, stabbing and slashing, but the multitude would not stop. Cara could do nothing, except see a terrible figure crouching toward her in her mind, dripping blood and tears, hooded, shadowed, reaching toward her with dead, decayed fingers...

"Stop," she whispered, tears flowing freely from her eyes. She covered her face. "Stop stop stop stop—"

Peter shook her roughly.

"Get up," he said harshly. "Cara, stop!"

"I can't," she cried. " _Peter!_ "

Peter stumbled away from her, and Cara felt like her hands were turning to blood and her skin was getting peeled off. She screamed again.

Tinkerbell flew forward, and pressed her small hand to Cara's forehead.

The light in the corner of Tinkerbell's mouth, her kiss, flew through her arm and entered Cara's head. All at once, Cara's mind stopped swirling, and her eyes relaxed. She slumped to the ground, and the multitude suddenly stopped. Tinkerbell dropped to Peter's shoulder in exhaustion.

"Good work, Tink," whispered Peter, and he entered the fight again, a whirlwind of sword and blade and light through the darkness.

Soon, the monsters were all dead around Peter's feet, and his Lost Boys were gathered around him.

But not all the creatures were dead.

A hooded, dark shadow stood on the other end of Peter's ship, his back to them.

Peter smiled, and it was a terrible smile.

"The Fairy King's master."

The Lost Boys all clung to Peter Pan.

But he looked at Cara Darling.

She stood, shakily, and looked back at him, and then at the hooded creature. She understood, and she went to stand next to Curly, holding the small boy's hand.

" _Who are you?_ " rasped the creature, and a trembling fear crept into Cara's heart. She swallowed it down. She would not break down again. She would _not_.

"I am Peter Pan."

" _Friend or foe?_ "

Peter smiled again. "Foe."

The creature turned slowly, and Cara's blood turned to ice.

There is no way to describe the horror of the monster that stood before them, except to say that it was the most terrible thing in the whole of creation, and when Peter slept, he would forever see it in his nightmares.

" _Have you your precious kiss from Wendy Darling?_ "

"Yes. I stole it back."

" _Blast!_ " the creature cursed. " _The dryad has failed me!_ "

"The sick tree," Peter murmured, comprehension suddenly lighting his features. It had a pretty effect on him. "You would've failed anyway, for I am here to destroy your darkness and free the creatures of Starwater Island!"

The monster hissed and stepped closer.

" _Then, Peter Pan, you will die!_ "

Slightly lashed out at the creature with his sword, but the blade shattered. The creature reached out and simply touched Slightly's forehead, and the boy cried out, and fell to the ground, clutching his head.

"Leave them alone!" yelled Cara, and stood blocking the Lost Boys and Peter.

The creature looked at her, and smiled a horrible, horrible smile. " _Cara Darling_ ," it hissed. " _You have been taken up by the sickness._ "

"Not anymore." said Cara defiantly. "I'll never be touched by it again!"

But she had spoken too soon. The creature held up a dead hand, and Cara was once again thrown into fear and sadness and pain. She was surrounded by darkness, but what she feared most was that she could not see the light of Peter Pan.

One by one, each of the Lost Boys were defeated, and all that was left was Peter Pan and Tinkerbell. The hooded being touched her also, and she too, fell down as if dead, but not really.

He looked at Peter Pan, and suddenly screamed.

It was a terrible noise, as if a knife had cut through the noise, but almost like in a good kind of pain, the kind of pain that results in ripping off the band-aid.

Peter smiled at him.

" _Why do you still stand, boy?_ " the creature snarled, taking an unconscious step back from him. " _I will make you see mayhem, madness, infinite sadness._ "

"I'm blind to such things." said Peter carelessly.

" _How wonderful it would be_ ," said the creature greedily. " _To destroy Peter Pan? To kill my enemy, to destroy light and youth?_ "

"It'd be really rather unfortunate." said Peter honestly.

" _Insolent boy_ ," snarled the monster, and reached out at once to finish Peter Pan.

Too late, for Peter Pan had stabbed his sword clean through the creature. He met his eyes, only a hairsbreadth away, and smiled. "I am light." he told the creature. "And while there is light, darkness will be destroyed."

The creature screamed again, and exploded into a million shards of black, and scattered in the wind.

And somewhere, somehow, the red left the Fairy King's eyes, and millions of creatures, children on earth and otherwise, suddenly remembered how to live. The evil had been destroyed.

The shadow over the island lifted, and they were floating on a sea of space, the waves splashing up and clearing the golden ship of the darkness that still hung about it.

Shakily, the Lost Boys and Cara and Tinkerbell recovered, gasping for breath.

Peter was sitting on the edge of the ship again, playing his pan flute. He turned his head and smiled at them.

"Oh, the cleverness of you," breathed Cara, smiling back at him, and she felt such a longing for him that it was almost unbearable.

He shrugged, dimpling.

And Cara saw a ring of light encircling his body, a halo of white, brilliant light, and she realized that she had nothing to fear anyway, for if she was with him, she was safe. He glowed more brilliantly than the sun, and so brightly that she could barely look at him. He was lovelier than any light, purer than any star.

And suddenly, she was cured, forever.


	7. The End of the Universe

**A/N: IT'S THE LAST CHAPTER OMGGGGGG I WILL MISS WRITING THIS STORY SO MUCH AND I LOVE PETER PAN SO MUCH AND EVERYTHING AND AGHHHH OMGGGGGGG**

 **Also, this little 'end of the universe' thing was taken straight from Narnia. Just saying.**

 **Review? :D**

* * *

 _the hidden kiss_.

CHAPTER SEVEN: THE END OF THE UNIVERSE.

They had decided to sail till they reached the end, or fell off. For that, of course, is an adventure in itself.

They had sailed so long they had forgotten about the sickness and it's master, all except Cara, who had written everything down, just as it was.

The waves were less space and more water, and soon they were _all_ water, and there was all sky, and they were sailing on a real ocean, with real fish and real clouds hanging over the mast.

Suddenly, they reached a white mist.

The wind had not stopped, and they had not stopped the ship, but it had stopped out of it's own accord.

Peter balanced on the stern. "Why've we stopped, Tootles?"

Tootles shrugged. He was wearing a Captain's hat. "I don't think there's anything... else."

"Nothing _else_?" repeated Peter excitedly, leaping up to the mast and trying to see over the mist. "Come on, then, we'll have to see what it is!"

"Have we really sailed to The End?" asked Nibs to Curly, who shrugged in wonder.

"We may have," said Cara, who slid her sword into her scabbard and flew behind Peter.

The Lost Boys and Cara alighted next to Peter on the surface of the waves, their bare feet just skimming the water.

The white mist stood before them like a stone wall. Peter was looking at it very hard, and Cara wanted to know what he was thinking.

"Peter," she said. "Shall we go into the mist and find out what is beyond?"

Peter thought for another moment.

"No."

Cara blinked.

"Why?"

Peter gazed out into the blankness. "I know what we have reached." he said quietly. "And I know that if you were to step into this mist, there is no guarantee that you will step out again."

Cara froze. "But you—you aren't going to go in, right?" she said nervously.

Peter scrutinized the nothingness in front of him.

"It will be a great adventure." he said, and at that moment they realized that there was no hope, and that he was going to go.

"Oh, Peter, you can't!" Tootles cried out, grabbing him. "Don't leave us, Peter, oh, don't!"

Peter said nothing. He reached out tentatively, and parted the mist, so he could peek through. His eyes were filled with longing.

Cara tried to see over his shoulder just what he was looking at, but all she could see was more white mist. He, though, looked as if he saw the loveliest things, just waiting for him past the white.

"Peter," she whispered, and he looked at her with soft eyes.

"Cara, you must return home." he said, voice sweeter than honey. "You must go home to London."

"London..." she whispered, tasting the word. "How far away."

"Your home." Peter corrected. "You must stay and live. You're meant to grow up, Cara Darling."

"Will you come home to Neverland, Peter?" asked Curly in a small voice.

Peter ruffled his hair and gave him his boyish grin. "Of course," he said. "I'll come all the time, you'll get so sick of me."

"Never you, Peter, never you," chorused the Lost Boys.

"Take Cara home safe, alright?" said Peter, still looking in the mist.

"Alright." responded the Lost Boys.

Cara could barely hold in her fear of losing _The Half-Moon_ , or the Lost Boys, or Peter Pan.

"Peter, I want to come with you."

"No."

"I will go stay and live with the Lost Boys."

"No."

"Don't send me back to that horrid place, Peter, please!"

Peter finally tore his eyes from the white to look at Cara. He saw her blue eyes, and felt a strange tug from the mist, as if the person he had known waited for him there. The same tug also emanated from the acorn hidden in his pocket.

"Cara." he said quietly. "I promise. If I went back to Neverland, I would never allow you to go home. That is why you must go home now, while I am away. You must give your world a chance."

"I can't," Cara wept. "I want to live at Neverland!"

"Cara Darling." Peter said. "I swear to you on my life, that one day, I will meet you on the other side of the mist."

Cara looked at him. "Promise?" she said in a small voice.

Peter grinned at her. "Promises are kisses, you know."

She threw her arms around him.

When she finally let him go, she felt something fly up from the corner of her mouth and touch Peter's forehead, then fly away. When she let go of Peter Pan, she had let go of her childhood. Cara wept again.

Peter sheathed his sword, and Tinkerbell took her customary place on Peter's shoulder.

"If I get through the mist safely and remember Neverland," Peter told his boys, "You will hear my pan flute. If not, then you will hear nothing but the waves."

They nodded. Then Tootles asked, just once more, "You _will_ return, Peter?"

He only smiled, and they knew it was the mystery of him.

"Goodbye, then," Peter said finally, grinning at them. "For at least a little while." And he flew up and disappeared into the whiteness of the mist.

All of the Lost Boys and Cara strained to listen.

And then, there it was.

A beautiful melody, floated up from the mist and towards them, and then his boyish laughter, that raked against the sky and threw his legacy to the stars, to be told forever of his adventures.

* * *

It had been a long while until Cara returned home, to be welcomed with joyous tears through the window. Somehow, her mother had known exactly where she was, though she had never gone with Peter herself. There is something that all children have known about Peter Pan. She went immediately to her desk and brought out several notebooks and pens, and wrote down everything from her adventures, to be accompanied by the papers she had already written.

And Cara grew old in London, which isn't _such_ a bad place to grow old in. Yes, maybe there is rain and clouds of cigarette smoke, but there are always, always stories of Peter Pan.

She published a long, lovely book about her adventures, too, and the last sentence was: " _and someday, I will meet Peter Pan on the other side of the Last Mists, and we will fly off into eternity, never again to worry about old age and death_."

And every word of her book came true.

 _the end._


End file.
